Celery Salad With Roasted Mushrooms, White Beans and Feta

I can honestly say I've never made anything like this before. But every main individual ingredient sounded delicious to me, and when combined, it is truly a satisfying salad. I doubled the entire recipe because 1) feta comes in a 6 oz container and 2) if I'm going to the effort of roasting mushrooms, I might as well roast twice as many, right?

Celery Salad With Roasted Mushrooms, White Beans and Feta

Adapted from The Washington Post. From cookbook author Joy Manning. Tested by Ali Sharman. 

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the marinated celery

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (original was 2 tablespoons minced shallot, which I skipped as I didn't have any)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (original was champagne or other white wine vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (original was 3/4 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (original was 1/4 teaspoon - but I LOVE black pepper)
• 8 ribs celery (leafy stalks from the heart preferred), sliced very thin on the diagonal
• 1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (original was 1 cup)

For the roasted mushrooms

• 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

For assembly

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Method

1. Make the mushrooms: While the celery is marinating, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, season with salt and toss to coat. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mushrooms have browned and are tender. 

2. Make the marinated celery: In a large bowl, whisk together the onion powder, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and black pepper until the sugar has dissolved. Add the celery and beans and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Add mushrooms, parsley, mint and dill to the marinated celery and beans and mix until combined. 

4. Top with crumbled feta and serve.

Marinated Celery Salad with Chickpeas and Parmesan

This was delicious. The dressing is not all that different from my usual salad dressing - after learning to make the dressing in the bottom of the same bowl I plan to mix the salad in, I've been far likelier to make my dressing at home since it doesn't dirty any extra bowls, and it can be quickly adjusted to go with whatever salad ingredients I'm planning to use. I'd say the croutons are really not optional in this, as they provide well-needed crunch so the salad isn't too one-dimensional.

Marinated Celery Salad with Chickpeas and Parmesan

Adapted from the NYTimes

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD:

• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, more as needed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 4 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
• 4 large or 6 small celery stalks, with leaves, cut into large julienne
• 2 large scallions, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced on a diagonal, or 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 to 2 cups loosely packed celery leaves, coarsely chopped 
• 1 pint small tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves, rolled and julienned (optional)
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, coarsely grated, or crumbled feta

FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL):

• 1 small loaf (or 1/2 large loaf) day-old, peasant-style crusty bread

Method 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey/maple syrup and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Drop in garlic cloves, stir, and set aside 15 to 30 minutes (or 5 minutes, in my case, as I'm still not sure I like raw garlic flavor) to let the flavor infuse.
2. (If you're me, you pull out garlic cloves now.) Gradually whisk in oil; dressing will emulsify. Mix in chickpeas, celery and scallions. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Remove garlic cloves from dressing (unless they're already long gone...). Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, vinegar and olive oil. Set aside to come to cool room temperature.
4. If desired, make croutons, for serving: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pull the soft bread out of the center of the loaf, leaving most of the crust behind, and tear bread into bite-size pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Spread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until golden and crisp; let cool. (I often use bolillo rolls to make croutons - it's a good shortcut.)
5. Just before serving, mix tomatoes, basil and croutons, if using, into the salad, then top with cheese and more black pepper.  

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Whenever I see a recipe in a magazine with beautiful photographs, AND I have all the ingredients on hand (or am very close to that), I take it as a sign that I must try it out. Doesn't always end well, but here's another success story.

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 tsp. cumin seeds (I used 1 tsp ground cumin)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (I used 1/2 tsp chili flakes)
1 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
Kosher salt
1½ lb. medium carrots, scrubbed, halved lengthwise, tops trimmed to about 1"
2 avocados, cut into large pieces
½ cup mint leaves

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (I added this ingredient)

Method

1. Prepare a grill for medium heat (or in my case, the broiler in the oven). Toast cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool. (Or, just use ground cumin.)
2. Coarsely crush cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Transfer to a large bowl. Add lemon juice and honey. Whisk in ¼ cup oil until combined, then stir in chile and ginger. Season with salt. Let sit until ready to serve, which will give the chile and ginger time to infuse into the sauce.
3. Toss carrots with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Grill carrots, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and tender, 14–18 minutes. Immediately transfer carrots to bowl with sauce. Toss to coat; season with salt.
4. Arrange avocado and carrots on a platter. Spoon any remaining sauce over, then top with mint and sesame seeds. Serve carrots warm or at room temperature.

Let's Make All Roasted Brassicas Delicious

This method works on all vegetables that take well to roasting - in particular, brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Turn your oven up to 375F (and if you have a convection setting, pop that on as well). Take the equivalent of a large head of cauliflower, cut it up into small pieces (for cabbages, it works well to slice it into wedges that are still attached to the stem at the bottom), and toss it on a generously olive-oiled baking sheet so that all the little vegetable pieces get a light coating of oil. Throw the whole pan in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Take the pan out, flip all the vegetable pieces so that you start getting nice browned edges everywhere, and then roast for another 10 minutes.

Take all the ingredients below, except for the mint and cilantro, and whisk in a small bowl. When the vegetables are done roasting, toss all of the veg in a large bowl, and throw all the mint and cilantro in, as well as some dressing to taste. Keep adding dressing until you think the whole thing is salty and sour and delicious enough.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fish sauce (can use vegetarian or vegan substitutes for this)

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar (brown or white)

1 small chili, minced

1/2 clove garlic, minced

handful of mint

handful of cilantro

Charleston / Savannah Day 4 & 5

Before heading off to Savannah, we stopped at Early Bird Diner (1644 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407) for the best chicken and waffles of the trip. Look at this! It's one portion, split between two people - that half portion made me so full that I could barely have dinner later in the day.

Upon arrival in Savannah, we took one of the trolley tours which was a great way to get oriented and hear quite a lot of history in 2 hours. The trolley driver suggested that we head to Rocks on the Roof (102 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401) for a drink in the sunshine with views of the city, so we did. My bloody mary was perfect and came topped with an enormous shrimp and pickled okra.

The afternoon was spent wandering around Savannah's beautiful squares - we knew we had a dinner reservation at Paula Deen's restaurant so attempted to build up an appetite. Alas, all the walking in the world was not enough to burn off our chicken and waffle breakfast, so by the time we sat down at The Lady & Sons (102 W Congress St, Savannah, GA 31401), we knew we were going to have to skip the fried chicken buffet. Instead, we ordered a Lady's Choice Salad (mixed greens with hard boiled eggs, bacon, shredded cheese, tossed in a tangy ranch dressing, topped with fried red onion rings) and the broiled fresh seafood platter with shrimp, scallops and squid. Considering we were ordering the NOT fried, NOT butter-drenched, NOT heart-stopping items on the menu, it was pretty good, though of course now that I am not overly full I wish I had a chance to sample the famous buffet, which most of the rest of the diners were ordering.

We popped into Moon River Brewing Company (21 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401) for an after dinner drink - it was nice enough but nothing to rave about. I think exhaustion took over at this point.

The next morning we went to our trolley guide's other recommendation, J. Christophers (122 E Liberty, Savannah, GA, 31401), for brunch. They serve breakfasts in skillets, which is cute - because the menu is so big and diverse it took us ages to pick out crab cake benedict and a skillet with chorizo and chicken - both were wonderful, especially sitting outside in the sunshine with fresh squeezed orange juice. And all too soon, it was time to leave Savannah and its charms behind.

Little Georgia

14 Barnsbury RoadLondon 
N1 0HB

P and I went to the Estorick Collection, an museum that specialises in modern Italian art, and I was surprised by how much I liked some of the etchings of Giorgio Morandi. But looking at art always makes me hungry, so luckily we had planned to go to Little Georgia for dinner afterwards. A met us there so we were able to share more food - and we proceeded to get a small meze platter (consisting of those amazingly colorful piles of salad above) which comes with the most amazing cheese-stuffed bread (khachapuri?), and some blini stuffed with pork and cheese to start. Other people have raved about the unusual flavors of Georgian food and the freshness of all the herbs used in the cooking, and I will just say that I concur. I could have just the meze and blini for dinner, I think, and skip all the mains. Of course, when P and A and I eat together, we never skip mains, so there was also a beef stew, a garlic chicken stew and some lamb kebabs, all of which were nice, but just not as nice as the starters. P's already been back, and I'm sure I will be there again soon, stuffing my face full of the loveliest salads ever.

Parmesan Celery Salad

So as I was staring at a large bunch of celery in the fridge, I remembered this recipe I saw that seemed incredibly simple and used only ingredients I already had. Of course, I had to go mess with it a lot, since I also wanted to use up a slightly withered carrot, and then to turn it into more of a main meal I wanted something more bulky in there (hence the chickpeas, in a totally different quantity). So basically by the time I was done it was a very different dish, but still, I know exactly where the jumping-off point was!

Point is, you can make the original, which I'm sure would be great, or you can tweak to your heart's content, and still make something wonderful.

Parmesan Celery Chickpea Salad
Inspired by 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

8 large celery stalks, stripped of strings

1 large carrot
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
2 cans of chickpeas, heated
40 g roasted salted peanuts
sea salt
freshly chopped herbs (or herb flowers), or reserved celery leaves

Method

Slice the celery stalks quite thinly - 1/8-inch or so. Do the same to the carrot. Then, in a small bowl, make a paste with the olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Set aside. In a large bowl toss the heated chickpeas with the olive-Parmesan mixture. When well combined, add the celery, carrots and the peanuts. Toss once more. Taste and add a bit of salt if needed. Serve in a bowl or platter topped with herb flowers and/or celery leaves.

Vietnamese Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

Another Vietnamese-inspired dish that is being written about completely out of season. But just think what you can do with it next year when the veggies are fresh and you want something light but packed with flavor!

Quinoa, by the way, is one of my favorite grains - it cooks very easily and is apparently incredibly healthy for you, but most importantly, I love the texture and taste it adds - a sort of nutty, lightly popping / crunching sensation between the teeth.

Again, any in-season veggies that you would have in a salad would work below, so just use it as a guideline - the most important components not to forget are the dressing and quinoa. The vegetables and proteins can all be swapped out for alternatives.

Vietnamese Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

For the dressing:
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more if desired

For the salad:
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 cup quinoa, rinsed (or pre-washed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin bite-sized strips
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 courgette, sliced thinly
1 avocado, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

Method

Add quinoa, salt and 1-2/3 cups water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool.

In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the lime juice, Asian fish sauce, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add shrimp to the dressing and let marinate until ready to assemble the salad.

Once quinoa is cool, add red bell pepper, carrot, courgette, avocado, and cucumber to the bowl. Right before serving, add the dressing, shrimp and coriander and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, sugar or crushed red pepper flakes if necessary. Serve cold.

Vietnamese Beef Salad

Apologies for a long absence. There have been a lot of weddings, visitors, and travels recently, and I haven't been able to get myself in front of this blog for long enough to properly write up anything. 

It's a shame, really, since this salad was so delightful, and perfect for the bit of sunny weather we had. A and I were probably going through one of our many phases of trying to eat slightly healthier, lighter meals, and this was a huge winner. I'm pretty sure I used a cut of beef that was not particularly luxurious, but made sure to only sear it quickly so that it wouldn't get tough. I see a mix of lettuce, rocket, cucumbers, and peppers on the plate, so let's assume that is what I used, though really any leafy, crunchy, crispy vegetables would work as well. I think the crushed peanuts on top were the real kicker to this recipe, so try not to omit them if at all possible.

Vietnamese Beef Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

Salad:

250g beef steak - sliced thinly, against the grain

1/2 head of lettuce

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 or 2 bell peppers, different colors, diced into bite-size pieces

1 carrot, sliced into thin coins

Handful of coriander (cilantro), mint and basil, roughly chopped

any other salad greens you like (nothing too bitter, I don't think)

1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, crushed

Dressing:

4 tbsp lime juice

4 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp chili flakes

Marinade for beef:

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Method

1. Mix beef slices with marinade ingredients, and set aside for at least 10 minutes but overnight if you wish.

2. Assemble your salad with all salad ingredients except for the beef and peanuts.

3. Put dressing ingredients in a jar or container and shake well.

4. When beef is done marinating, heat a pan over high heat. Toss beef in and quickly sear it on all sides before removing to a plate.

5. Pour dressing over salad leaves and toss well. Plate the salad on serving plates, then top with beef and a scattering of peanuts.

Scotland Day 4 - Castles, Loch Ness, Cairngorms

Another outrageously large breakfast at Fernlea greeted us in the morning, along with blue skies!

The view from our bedroom window at Fernlea

 We got an early start and stopped in Plockton, which rather unusually has a lot of palm trees in people's gardens. A's mom had been here years ago and her fond memories were reinforced by our stroll around the village, including a stop at the open air church which is now completely overgrown but you could still pick out where people might have sat to listen to a sermon.

Plockton

Next was Eilean Donan castle which is indeed as picturesque as all the guide books would make you believe. In between our photo frenzies, we also enjoyed the exhibits inside (I especially liked the very realistic fake food in the kitchen, along with explanations of what the life of a scullery maid was like).

Eilean Donan Castle - just helping to make it the most photographed castle in Scotland

Sadly for Urquhart Castle, we were too impressed with Eilean Donan to care very much about ruins, so we stopped in the car park for a look and then decided to head off to see Loch Ness, up close and personal, instead.

Sneaky picture of Urquhart Castle from over the wall

We paused in Drumnadrochit to ask the tourist information people where we should go for a short walk, and they suggested the Woodland Walk that goes very close to Loch Ness. Of course, while we were on the walk, we bumped into a a guy and his dog and asked whether it was possible to actually get to Loch Ness, and he gave us a tip that involved a bit of scrambling over a fallen tree (and a tense moment when A thought he might cause my mom to fall into the creek!) but aside from that obstacle, it wasn't much farther to Loch Ness itself, and we found ourselves on the banks, completely alone. I love it when that happens. On our way back we got lost, of course, since none of us are very good at finding trails / remembering where we came from, but we did find our way back to the car eventually.

Woodland walk

Now this is where A was really looking forward to trying to ridiculously long whisky list at the Fiddlers, going so far as to call the day before to check when they served food. So when they said 12-2.30 and 6.30-8.30, we knew we wouldn't get any food, but we failed to realise that they aren't open at all in the afternoon! A was devastated, and the day was only saved when our next destination turned out to be so amazing that no one could ever be depressed there.

The Dores Inn - this could be heaven

A's uncle R had recommended The Dores Inn (Loch Ness, IV2 6TR) and we are so glad we made the effort to go.

Silvery sardines

Lamb and pancetta cassoulet

We ordered what seems like the majority of the menu and every single dish was really well prepared. We started with sardines, stuffed mushrooms, and mussels - and as soon as we started eating, we were getting excited for the mains. I had the lamb and pancetta cassoulet, and in a recurring theme, despite my parents saying that they don't like lamb, they tried it and changed their minds. It was meltingly tender and jam-packed with different flavors. A's haggis was scarfed down, as was his mom's fish and chips (again, enormous, and fried just right).  My dad's sea bass and mom's scallops and chorizo salad went quickly as well - we basically ate and grinned at each other happily through dinner. A warm bourbon mud cake to finish was the final achievement, and we joked around about coming back the next night even though we were not going to be anywhere close.

Reluctantly, we left The Dores Inn to head to The Boat Hotel in the Cairngorms - and once I saw the old fashioned bar I was thrilled - more about it in the next installment.

Imjadara (Lentils and Bulgur Wheat)

I love it when you see a recipe, think to yourself that it looks good, and then also realise you have every ingredient required at home. I was so enthusiastic that I accidentally put in 2 tbsp of tomato paste instead of the original 1/2 tbsp, but you know what, I like the tomato flavor. Time to get more bulgur wheat so I can make this again.

Imjadara (serves 4)
Adapted from A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit

Ingredients

2 cups stock (I used vegetable)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
a pinch of cayenne
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed
2/3 cups coarse-ground bulgur
olive oil
1 large onions, halved and thickly sliced

Method

In a large heavy based sauce pan bring the stock to a boil. Add the tomato paste and all spices except the salt and pepper. Add the lentils, re-place the lid and simmer for about 15minutes.

Whilst the lentils are simmering, heat the olive oil (I used chicken fat since it was in the pan already) in a large frying pan.

Add the onions and fry over low to medium heat for about 30-35 minutes, stirring often, until they’re soft and brown.

After 15 minutes check the lentils, add in the bulghur, put the lid back on and cook over very low heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and rest for another 10 minutes or so, after which time the bulgur should be tender and nicely plumped.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the lentils and bulgur topped with the onions and serve with salad. Apparently Greek yogurt is also nice on the side - next time, maybe.

Cabbage Peanut Salad

This is an incredibly refreshing and interesting salad - I am really starting to enjoy raw cabbage, but it needs a good dressing to bring it all together. I dislike mayonnaise-based dressings, so anything that resembles coleslaw is a no go for me, but this peanut dressing is perfect - the right balance of a nutty creaminess with the sharpness of rice vinegar and the kick of chilli flakes.

Cabbage Peanut Salad
Adapted from I Made That!

Peanut Dressing:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 inch knob of peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried chilli flakes

Blend all ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth.

Salad:

1/2 head small green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 head small red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled with vegetable peeler into ribbons
1/2 cup packed cilantro, roughly chopped
handful of rocket (arugula)
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1/2 cups roasted peanuts (I didn't have any, but they would probably add a nice crunch)
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Toss all of the salad ingredients except for the sesame seeds together with the dressing. It looks like there is a lot of dressing, but the salad can handle it all. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top to garnish.

Spring Rice Salad

Inspired by a salad from Ottolenghi, I created this. It's not a very close match, but it is delightful nonetheless, and perfect for the warmer spring (or summer) weather. All the greenery in it reminds me of spring, so that's what I named it after.

Spring Rice Salad

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice, refrigerated overnight
1 cup peas (frozen is ok)
100g green beans
handful of dill, chopped
10 basil leaves, chiffonaded
10 mint leaves, chiffonaded
1 lemon
1/4 cup of olive oil

salt and pepper

Method

1. Steam green beans lightly until tender-crisp. Defrost peas if necessary. Mix rice, peas, green beans, dill, basil and mint in a large bowl.

2. Juice the lemon and mix with the olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper and shake or whisk to combine. Pour this dressing over the salad and combine well. Taste salad to make sure there is enough salt and lemon flavor. Serve at room temperature.

Ottolenghi

287 Upper St
London 

N1 2TZ

Embarassingly, A and I had been given a gift certificate to use at Ottolenghi as part of a wedding gift. Fast forward over two years later, and we finally used it with A's mom. Despite not going until 3.30pm in an attempt to avoid the queues, there was still a queue. This place is ridiculously popular! While you're standing in the queue, you can look at all the bright and vibrant salads that are piled up high on plates and start thinking about what you want. Alas, our late timing meant that by the time we ordered, the restaurant had run out of one of the salads that we really wanted. Still, we managed to try almost every type of salad left, and some very good seared tuna as well. Ottolenghi is not cheap, but the variety of ingredients, some of which are difficult to source, that are in every dish, make it a deal when you think about how much you would have to spend at the grocery store just to recreate one of the salads. I tried to remake a rice salad at home (recipe to come soon) which was nice, but nowhere near as complex as what we had. Plus, the white room full of chattering, happy people is a nice place to have a meal, so on the whole, I would recommend it. Not sure how you beat the queues though - only you can decide if the wait is worth it.

Asian-Style Cabbage Salad

A glut of veggies in the fridge meant that I had to think up something to do with them, fast. Here's a great way to use up crunchy vegetables when you don't feel like cooking.

Ingredients

1/2 head of white cabbage, shredded
2 cups of snowpeas (mange tout), sliced into thin strips
3 carrots, julienned
1/3 cup of dark soy sauce
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp ground pepper
1/4 cup of sesame seeds, toasted

Method

Place soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and pepper in a container and shake hard to mix. Toss with cabbage, snowpeas and carrots in a big bowl. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Wilted Spinach Salad

Another recipe from the Greens cookbook - I think I've found the two recipes that are relatively simple to make. The trick of soaking the onions in water until you use them in the salad later on is a good one - it takes some of the harsh bite of raw onions away and makes them much more palatable. You can see the finished result at the bottom of the plate in the picture above - nice chunks of feta mixed with salty nuggets of olives and wilted spinach with a balancing tartness from the vinegar. I might reduce the amount of oil next time, but this is definitely worth making again.

Wilted Spinach Salad
Adapted from the Greens cookbook

Ingredients

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
5 tablespoons olive oil
8 to 12 Kalamata olives
450g / 1lb spinach
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon mint leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
200g feta cheese

Method

Cover the onion slices with cold water and refrigerate until needed. 

Press the olives to split them open, take out the stones, and cut the olives in two.

Wash the spinach and spin dry.

When you are ready to make the salad, drain the onions. Put the spinach in a large metal bowl and toss it with the onions, garlic, mint, olives and vinegar. Break up the cheese and crumble it over the spinach. Heat the olive oil until it is very hot but just short of smiking. Immediately pour it over the salad, turning the leaves with a pair of metal tongs so that the hot oil coats and wilts as many leaves as possible. Taste, and season with more vinegar if needed.

The original recipe included croutons, which would be a nice textural contrast - I just didn't have any bread to make croutons this time.

The Raleigh Times

14 E. Hargett St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
USA

D took me to the Raleigh Times with a few other people during her lunch break - we had come for the pulled pork nachos, but shockingly, they were out of pulled pork. Instead, we went for the next regional specialty on the menu, the fried pickles (I was dubious, but turns out there's no need to be). These were thinly sliced pickles in a crisp, light batter, served with ranch dressing. I loved them, but they are awfully salty and I'm glad we chose to share one order among the five of us. Since it was so hot outside, I decided on a salad for lunch - the Asian Tuna Salad with seared rare marinated tuna, bok choy, butter lettuce, shredded carrots, red bell peppers and soy sesame dressing. It was exactly what I wanted - cool and refreshing flavors - nothing mind-blowing but it certainly hit the spot.

Mizuna

6 Charlotte Street
London
W1T 2LR

Lunch with J on a warm, sunny day meant that we wanted to sit outside, and I was craving salad. Luckily J knew about Mizuna, which do fresh tossed salads (as well as pre-prepared ones). I opted for a Tuna Nicoise with no red onions, which is just how I like it - all of the ingredients tasted fresh and I also asked for dressing on the side so that I could add the perfect amount for my taste. It was quick and reasonably priced, and we were fortunate enough to snag a little table on the sidewalk as well. If I worked in the area, I'm sure I'd be here a lot for lunch.

Potato Salad with Greek Yogurt

After the lovely potato salad at Lantana, I decided to try out my own version at home. We were clearing out the freezer for a party, so corn and prawns were added, and my chive plant has gone gangbusters now that spring has sprung, so I threw those in as well. A gave this a big thumbs up. We had it as dinner, though it would make a great side dish as well.

Potato Salad with Greek Yogurt

Ingredients
500g baby salad potatoes
150g Greek yogurt (I used Fage fat-free)
3/4 cup corn
150g prawns
3 tablespoons chives, chopped
salt and pepper

Method

Boil potatoes in a pot of salted water until tender. If using frozen corn and/or prawns, drain the potatoes over the corn and prawns so that the hot water thaws everything out. Cut potatoes into smaller pieces, and add to a big bowl. Add corn, prawns, yogurt and chives to bowl and mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Lantana

13 Charlotte Place
Marylebone, London W1T 1SN

After reading multiple raves about Lantana from some of my favorite food blogs over the last year or so (here, here, here, here, and here), it was probably about time to go try it myself. Thankfully it was in the area that J and I frequent for our Wednesday lunches, and since we were ready for lunch at noon, it seemed like a good time to snag a seat at this tiny cafe. Good thing we did, because about 30 minutes later the place was rammed. I went with the chicken kebab with choice of two salads, and I opted for potato salad and chickpea salad. Everything tasted incredibly fresh and I loved the use of yogurt in the potato salad rather than heavy mayonnaise. The chicken skewers were grilled perfectly and were still tender and juicy. I suppose 8.50 for the above plateful is not too steep - I certainly left full - but nor does it seem cheap, so this may be a treat for lunch rather than a regular haunt.